16 - “Wednesday, January 6, 1993 -

North Shore News

Star Trick, The Next Improvisation by Louise Moon and Roger

Fredericks, directed by Lyle Moon.

At the Back Alley Theatre, 751

Thurlow St. in Vancouver, to the end of January. Information:

_ 688-7013.

UICK! NAME a talk
show host. Now

§ name something
you would never let i in your
house. —_

If you answered Geraldo to both
questions | guarantee you will
have fun at Star Trick, The Next .
Improvisation.’

it is this sort of question. and-

<i answer with their audience that
provides the trikkies with intermit-
tent rocket fuel to boldly go where
no improviser has gone before.

' - But don’t get the idea that this
show is a series of theatresport
improvisations.

-Louisé Moon and Roger .
Frederick's script is tighter and
funnier than its predecessor, Star

‘| Trick, The Musical, with most of
the improvisation held to the se-
‘cond act.)

“This allows: both’ a ‘clearly defin-
ed plot and a series of character
relationships to develop all based

“on the'new Star Trek, | :

Or ‘whatever it’s called. |’

. Contrary to what a certain daily
newspaper has said, it is not nec-
~ essary to be familiar with the tele-.
_vision show to fi igure out what is
meant to be i ironic, satirical or just

: plain funny.

This is not highiy intellectual ve

4

Martin Millerchip

. THEATRE REVIEW

«comedy we are dealing with here,
and you don’t need to be a rocket
scientist to figure out what is going
on.

: Most of us virgin trekkies i in the
audience were rolling in the aisles
for much of the night.

OK. | admit ! phoned a friend
- who actually tapes this stuff before '
going to review the show and ask-.
ed her what was different about:
‘The Next Generation. :

After 30 minutes it.was obvious:
that it might have been quicker to-

‘|, watch an episode; but the gist of it

was that the writing tended to

~ reflect current social issues,.the

guy with the white face and the -

neck twitch isan android who |:

“wants to be human, those are not,
sunglasses, and the bald guy is a

_Klingfree) while drinking tea:

Admittedly, the more you know
about the TV show the more you
will appreciate some of the byplay.

Apparently Will Riker has put on
weight since the first vovage, giv-

ing new meaning to the expression |

“fleshing out'a character,’ but
you don’t need to know this to
understand that lan Bootnby’s Will
Porker is late to the bridge .
because of the Load-Your-Own-
Gravy Special in the canteen.

As for. social relevance: cut to,
the voice-over.

‘“Nnoffensiveness, the final fron-
tier. These are the politically cor- :
rect voyages of the spaceship i im-
provise. .

Its continuing mission: to ex-
plore strange new worlds from a

~ discreet distance, to seek out new

life and new civilizations without
doing anything to annoy anybody,
to blandly go where no one -
regardless of age, race, gender or
sexual orientation - has gone be-
fore.”

, Gerry McAteer’s Capt. ‘Discard

. promptly solves a repetitive series

of crises with little thought and no
violence (much to the chagrin of
Dean Haglund’s Lieut. Goof, the

Two minutes from take-off and

‘this. talented crew have told you’ :*
_ all you need to know about what

is being satirized. :
- Ellie Harvie as Helena Troy,
Gary Jones as Ensign Weasely

“. Cruncher (and also Discard’s '
better actor than William Shatner. »

ultimate nemesis) and Roman ~.*

oor handling weakens ars «

AF

Good Men.x *% (Columbia) Rated’ ‘Mature (at the Park’ n :

- & Tilford, Granville, Coquitlam, Richport, Scott 72, Station Square

_and Clearbrook cinemas)

iago,’ ‘parents of the deceased
“Their boy, Willie,'stationed in
Guantanamo Bay,.v f

the Cuban heat and his unit’s.cold:

higher-ups asking | for'a transfer i
exchange for squealing « on'anothe
grunt, his fellow marines decided
fo take a'little disciplinary action:
Now, two soldiers stand accused ..
“of turning a minor punishment in-
‘toa major, crime, The business of: |
‘saving people's lives” has ex-
acted a toll to the tune of e BCE,

“him at the incredible disadvantage’

‘of never having argued, a case in

‘court.

It's unique. “Too bad the rest’ ‘of
this courtroom drama is more fie
Matlock meets 90210: “ey!

The big-name talent like Cruise’.

= ~ and Nicholson offers enjoyably .

‘OK; not really. But ‘wise-cracking *
Lt. Daniel Kaffee (Tom Cruise) sure :
acts like TV’s hottest comic. As the

rass-assigned defence attorney, :
hé has reduced plea’ bargaining to

~.a45-second art. In fact, Kaffee has?

never entered a ‘courtroom,

“So how do you spring two ad

"mitted killers pleading, “Sir; we
- were just following orders, sir’? If

" you're playwright Aaron Sorkin,’ é

you create a brilliant young” -
_ lawyer, make him. funny, but put

‘Not valid with’ any. other, promotional offer, ,
.. Offer valid for a Hmited: time ne only :

”. Famous Players ...
"Cineplex Odeon |

“showy performances, but Demi -

Moore has a thankless role? going”
from hostile to Cruise’s °°,
cheerleader. First-time actor: ‘

- Wolfgang Bodison, absolutely :

rock-solid as the honor-obsessed
accused who refuses to plea

i bargain, was director Rob Reiner’s
«find (Bodison used to be his loca- - :

tion scout). 72

Having directed crowd: eaters |
like Misery and cult movies like:
This is is Spinal Tap, Rob Reiner has ©
“proven he’s no slouch. Soit’s -
disappointing he should allaw a -

few weak elements to turn A.Few
Good Men into a Few So-So Men. i

“SHOWTIME t HOTLINES:

‘» Itisovera month since | have’ -

681-4255 ° |.
687-1515

Photo submitted

BOTH NEW and old Star Trek fans can get big: laughs from th
ongoing performances of Star Trick, The Next improvisation. Pro-
duced by Vancouver TheatreSporis, the. show stars (ito: nr): Gary
Jones, fan Boothby, . Gerry McAteer, Ellie Harvie,’ Roman Danylo,
and Dean eatund.. ;

“Danyo, who is dill as Lt!
Cornmander Info, complete the

‘cast.
potato blues are imag oO yo

down try the live, rather than t
~ televised, version of StarTrek:
blast of warped humor is guaran
_ teed to boost your new year..."

seen the show, and it may have

‘changed, “2 = -
Direction’ and “tines! are.

foreign concepts to seasoned and ..

> North Shore
| | Painters’ Comer |

Painting & Decorative “Art Studio. .

“— Classes & Workshops a
— Retail Art Supplies & Books
_— Paintable Wood Pieces’

Register Now.

for January Classes :
~ (10% off. for: beginners).

- 985- 0131,

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